About patinaandcompany

I am a compulsive beautifier of all things habitable. Give me your ugly, non-functional and visually repellent, and I am in my element. Also, an avid and experienced gardener determined to share my horticultural experiences with others.
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It’s FINALLY spring in Ontario, and I can tell by the undeserved spike in page views I’m getting on this blog as people google for gardening ideas. I say undeserved because I haven’t posted in AGES. Why have I been so … Continue reading →

My daughter recently moved into a new place, and for the first time has been quite inspired to decorate and personalize it. To help out, I dug through the basement and offered her some Craigslisted treasures that she could use … Continue reading →

Allium, flowering onion, comes in a variety of sizes, heights and versions of purple, as well as bloom times. Allium Giganteum is very tall and large and blooms slightly later than the ones shown below. Allium Christophii, Star of Persia, is … Continue reading →

Two years ago spring came early to Southern Ontario, with me posting snowdrops and forsythia buds ready to force indoors in the earliest days of February. This year, it seems that winter will never end. The minus double-digit temperatures have … Continue reading →

This is the perfect time of year to get inspired about your fall garden. Ontario and the East will soon be brilliant with fall colour and our gardens will be aglow in this vibrant backdrop. In other parts of North … Continue reading →

As if peonies aren’t stunning enough, my daughter has subjected her latest peony photos to some artful tweaking, so I thought I would share these with you. Peonies bloomed for an unusually long time in Southern Ontario this year, due … Continue reading →

For a dramatic, classic showpiece for the back of your summer garden, there are few plants more perfect than traditional delphiniums. These beauties are in season right now. For a classic look, I like the “Black Knight” and “Pacific Giants” … Continue reading →